Donald Trump’s Immigration History and Histrionics

When Donald J. Trump announced his Presidential bid last summer, from the lobby of his Trump Towers in New York City, his typical histrionics quickly sparked anger among Mexicans and other Latinos.

The core criticism related to his accusations about Mexico sending “people bringing drugs, criminals and rapists” to the U.S. His call for a “great wall” on our southwest border, to keep out illegal immigrants from Mexico and “all over South and Latin America” and “probably from the Middle East” set large groups against him.

Since then, The Donald has elaborated on how he wants to “make America great, again,” by first securing our borders, deporting those here illegally, de-legitimatizing “anchor babies” and better managing the stays of visa-based visitors.

Mr. Trump’s own immigration history in America began when his grandfather, Frederick Drumpf, emigrated here from Germany in 1885. By 1892, he had anglicized his last name to Trump and become a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Grandpa Trump’s entrepreneurial interests took him across our continent to a colorful life serving miners in the Klondike Gold Rush. After several years he returned to Germany in 1901 and married Elizabeth Christ (pronounced Krist) in 1902. In time, he and his pregnant wife moved to Queens, New York, where their son Fredrick Christ Trump was born in 1905.

Immigration continued to play into the Trump family history when, in 1936, Fred Christ Trump married Mary Anne MacLeod, an immigrant from Scotland. They had five children, with Donald being born in 1946.

Avoiding connection with his Germanic heritage on his father’s side, as Hitler began his military expansion in Europe, Fred initially partnered with his mother and started a construction business, the Elizabeth Trump and Son Company. They eventually received government contracts to build barracks and garden apartments for the U.S. Navy personnel, up and down the east coast.

After the war years, Fred expanded his entrepreneurial efforts into middle-income housing for the families of returning veterans. Eventually, he built affordable housing in various ethnic neighborhoods on Long Island, including a 3,800 apartment project with his name on it, Trump Village in Coney Island.

When his son Donald graduated from the prestigious Wharton School of Business at Penn State, in 1968, he joined the family business, then known as the Trump Management Company. In 1974 he became its president.

Soon, father Fred made “a small loan of a million dollars” to his son, so Donald could begin a real estate development business in Manhattan. Fred’s investments remained primarily on Long Island, in Brooklyn and Queens, while Donald commented in a 1999 article in the New York Times, “I got Manhattan to myself.”

Today, the name Trump or his image has been branded on or in office buildings, hotels, casinos and golf courses across America. His business empire, The Trump Organization, and its successes are synonymous with New York City.

Some biblical scholars have been drawn to link the New York City suburb of Babylon, located on Long Island, just 30 miles east of Trump Towers and the United Nations building, with the prophetic Babylon, featured in end-times descriptions in the book of Revelation.

All this Trump family history of entrepreneurial success in America began with immigrants and continues to this day, with the immigrant who sleeps next to him. Mr. Trump’s current wife, Melania, is a supermodel and immigrant from Slovenia, who speaks four languages. Four of his five children have immigrant mothers.

More and more political pundits are seriously suggesting Donald Trump could not only become the Republican nominee for President of the United States, but actually win the general election. One has to consider if this bold and brash entrepreneur can actually work within the confines of a constitutional republic, with its additional legislative and judicial branches. Can he be diplomatic enough to gain a coalition of other nations, to help solve world-wide problems which are caught in a vortex of the destiny of these last days?

Or, would he be like the current president? Would he use his “phone and pen,” in order to “go around Congress”? Would he also initiate and enforce “lawless actions,” around the world?

Christian believers must remember that one day a world leader, with a charismatic personality, will be “revealed,” whose family history will have involvement in the European nations, from the ruins of the old Roman Empire (see Daniel 7, 9 and 12). His histrionics will eventually be seen as an authoritarian, arrogant and braggadocios leader, known as “the lawless one.”

Gary Curtis is a recently retired minister who writes a blog, where he seeks to relate a biblical worldview regarding societal issues of public interest.
Trying to be “salt and light,” as Jesus commands, these brief blog-posts are primarily pro-life, pro-family and pro-religious liberties, while also speaking up for the people and nation of Israel.